IL GRANDE SOGNO
Italy, 2009, 101 minutes, Colour.
Riccardo Scamarcio, Laura Morante, Jasmine Trinca, Luca Argentero, Silvio Orlando.
Directed by Michele Placido.
Il Grande Sogno is a semi-autobiographical film by actor-director Michele Placido. It is set in 1968 in the turbulent political times of protest and police intervention. Placido himself came from the south, wanted to be an actor, joined the police, did some of the things that are played by Ricardo Scamarcio. He was an undercover policeman, saw a different side of the protesters, fell in love with a young woman, played by Jasmine Trinca, who opens his eyes to a different perspective on change in politics and in society. The film has also some documentary touches with material from the events of 1968 including Martin Luther King’s assassination, the election of Richard Nixon, the Vietnam War, Che Guevara…
The film is interesting for someone outside Italy in portraying and dramatising this period. However, many Italians were not so impressed, perhaps focusing too much on the career of the director and their reaction to the stars who appeared in many Italian films at that time.
1.Italian history, the 20th century after World War Two, the 1960s and the world, revolution and protest?
2.The consequences of 1968 – and the information about what happened to the characters later? Forty years later?
3.The director and his career, the film as autobiographical? Annotating 1968 from forty years on?
4.Audience knowledge of the 1960s, the revolutions, students, protest, sit-ins? Non-violent and violent protests? Police and government response? The political implications? Communism?
5.Rome in 1968, the four seasons? The city, homes, wealthy society, student digs, the university, theatre? The action and riot sequences? The police? Atmosphere and score?
6.The family and its wealth, conservative, patriarchal, the mother and her life in society, the political background? The father and the permissions for Laura to go to demonstrations or not? The father in the household, on the holidays, his illness, hospital, his death? The mother and her concern, an emotional woman, not comprehending what was going on?
7.Laura and her age, science studies, involved in the protests, going out in secret, staying out, the reactions at home, at the meals, with her younger brothers? The exam and her mocking the examiner, going to hear the speeches, meeting Libero? The bond with him? The encounter with Nicola, his helping her, the fall, in love, handling the situation at home or not? The police, her disgust at discovering the truth about Nicola? The holidays, with the family, the lost dog? Becoming more and more active, the relationship with Libero, uninhibited? Seeing Nicola again, the change? Going to her father in hospital? The crisis with Andrea? Trusting Nicola, the authorities betraying him? Portrait of a young woman at the time? In California forty years later teaching science?
8.The two boys, the bond between them, their relationship with Laura, the family, the meals, defending Laura? At the baptism, Andrea’s reaction, leaving? His relationship with Isabella? The boys on holidays with the family? Andrea learning to make Molotov cocktails, hiding, the arrest? The two brothers becoming writers and politicians?
9.Libero, his communist background, as a leader, travelling around Italy, his relationship with Laura, the arrest?
10.The older student, the mockery of the exam, his working with Libero, anti-Nicola? The Stalinist – and the protest and his death?
11.Nicola, the background of his family, his life, sexual relationships, the hotel in the city, policeman, defiant, orders? The interviews, his discussion about poetry – and the policeman who recited the poetry? Work, having to infiltrate, use his performance skills, the effect, changing sides, the encounter with Laura, falling in love? Back to the police, Laura’s discussion, his telling the truth? Going for the audition, Madelena and her asking him to speak in dialect, the relationship with her, learning from her? Her experiencing the protests of the students? Loving Laura, joining with Libero and Laura, feeling at home? Acting? The end, his trying to help, his police friends – and the authorities’ betrayal?
12.The portrait of the police, tough, training, attitudes? The brutality? The leadership and their tactics? Police and their right-wing politics?
13.The portrait of 1968 in retrospect, the passion, the change, the effects?
